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October 14, 2006
Chip implants may work for animals, but not children
The Houston Chronicle is reporting on a dog that was returned to its owner after straying 1,400 miles from home. The recovery was only made possible, the article implies, because the owners had injected a microchip into the dog's flesh.
Unfortunately, stories like this rarely explain exactly what the microchip does or how it is used to recover lost pets, leading many people to conclude that chip implants can be used to find anything that goes missing. But it doesn't work that way. If someone steals your dog or kidnaps your kid, the microchip in their flesh will not alert anyone to the crime, nor can it be used to track down the missing pet or child through some all-seeing satellite in the sky. That's because the read range on an animal (or human) implant is only around 12 inches.
Pet recovery scenarios only work if a missing dog winds up at an animal shelter or a veterinarian's office where the chip can be scanned. When staffers see a stray animal without a collar, they run an RFID reader over its flesh to look for a microchip implant. If the pet has been chipped, the implant will emit a 10-digit code that can be cross-referenced with a registry to identify and contact the owner.
This may work well for pets, but it would have no value at all in recovering abducted children, hikers lost in the woods, captured soldiers or kidnapped business executives. The chances of any of these people coming in contact within an implant reader are practically zero.
(Thanks to Rhonda for the link.)
- Katherine Albrecht
Posted by Katherine Albrecht at October 14, 2006 7:28 AM
Comments
My question is why can't we do this for children with a GPS system?
Posted by: JIm Woods at November 1, 2006 3:06 PM
In what way does a GPS chip implant differ from a GPS system in a vehicle? I thought that a signal was sent to a satellite and it reads the location the signalwas sent from?
Posted by: Lindsay Amorese at January 29, 2007 10:02 PM
I have contacted universities and many civil liberties sites with an idea that is the nemisis to implanting a "DARK ANGEL" chip in anyone for any reason. Our current technologies allow for a consumer electronics GPS with several biometrics so anyony can track their own personal timed location. This is a legal document of proof of timed location that puts the constitution back into effect, empowering the "individual", requiring law enforcement to get a warrent for personal information of timed locations. The court system will be transformed and the imbalance of state power over the individual will be balanced toward sanity for the first time in history. Digital dark angel does not want this!
Posted by: Cresson Stafford at April 14, 2007 7:42 PM
Help me stard a company to make this simple idea become a reality for us all as we ring in a new age of personal freedon and implement personal freedom for the first time. GPS personal timed location can slay the DIGITAL DARK ANGEL, rendering said maliscious technology to the scrap heap of history.
Posted by: Cresson Stafford at April 14, 2007 7:47 PM
I have a 3 year old that is priceless as I'm sure there are millions of other children no matter what age that parents feel the same. I'm sure little 3 year old Maddie now 4 has struck a wrecking chord in everyone's gut as Natalie Halloway, teenager, did.
I called my Pediatricians office Police station and searched the web. The police station was shocked and said microchip in children....Sounds like child abuse to me.
I was appalled. I said I find it disgraceful that people would waste time and money on finding pets and cars before protecting our children. ID tags Police ID or whatever is not going to help if some child is taken intentionally.
With all the technology in the world today it's scary we cannot protect our children. I do not find it invasive at all!!! Invasive is when a sick person puts their hands on my child and takes her away. My heart goes out to Maddie and her family. I'm sick over it. Christine
Posted by: Christine at May 30, 2007 10:26 AM
I have been contemplating the same thing for my grandchild.......will keep investigating..... I'm sure the technology exists........ like many good things..... the ACLU's efforts to "protect me" will again make me and my grandchild more susceptible to danger and harm than if they would not get involved... so far the ACLU's main claim to fame is in protecting "criminals" from quick and effective justice........must stop here.... could converse continually on this sore subject........
Posted by: TBerger at June 5, 2007 11:40 PM